Martin Scorsese is hailed as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers of all time. As a director, he's known for incorporating themes of the Italian American identity as well as Roman Catholic concepts like modern crime and violence, machismo, and guilt and redemption.

Over the last decade, he's partnered frequently with actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The handsome star has ensured the integrity of his acting career by playing the leads in Scorsese-directed pictures like The Aviator (2007) and Shutter Island (2010). More recently he stars in the 2013 crime thriller The Wolf of Wall Street.

Prior to his collaborations with DiCaprio, however, Scorsese was busy directing one of today's most prominent movie stars, simultaneously helping him rise to the top. During the early 70's, Robert De Niro became a mainstay in Martin Scorsese films. Their genius collaborations continued through the 90's, with De Niro portraying either the primary antagonist or protagonist in landmark films like 1973's Mean Streets, Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980) and the 1990 favorite Goodfellas. The previously mentioned titles make up a large part of Scorsese's most highly praised work.

Martin Scorsese won the Academy Award for Best Director with 2006's The Departed. He's been nominated for the accolade numerous times. Scorsese has also been a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema.